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Greed will destroy the Irish fishing industry – Ferris

Speaking at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture,
Food and the Marine yesterday, Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris warned that greed
would destroy the fishing industry if the sector’s leaders did not look to the
common good. Deputy Ferris was discussing distribution of the national quota
and the dominance of some producer groups within the sector.

Deputy Ferris said:

“I recognise that there has been huge investment and there
is huge money involved, but someone has to be looking at the bigger picture and
thinking of the common good. There is an onus of responsibility on stakeholders
to work for that and for coastal communities.

“There are two people trawling out of Fenit now,” he said,
referring to his own home port. “There were 15 or 16 people at it 20 years ago.
Government policy is decommissioning of boats, but is that the way ahead? Is
that what ye want?”

“There is a responsibility on the leaders of this sector and
if they don’t take it on, the 23 or 27 boats fishing for mackerel and
polyvalent sectors now might be a lot less in 20 years and the 2,000 others,
the smaller operators, might be gone altogether.

“The powerful fishing organisations have a responsibility to
the fishing sector and fishing communities. What’s wrong with giving some quota
to the weaker sectors, will someone explain to me? It’s up to you to solve it.